EASO Annual General Report 2015

Transcription

1 EASO European Asylum Support Office EASO Annual General Report 2015 June 2016 SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION

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3 EASO European Asylum Support Office EASO Annual General Report 2015 June 2016 SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION

4 Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union. Freephone number (*): (*) Certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to numbers or these calls may be billed. The report was adopted by the Management Board on 6 June More information on the European Union is available on the internet ( Print ISBN ISSN doi: / BZ-AD EN-C PDF ISBN ISSN doi: / BZ-AD EN-N European Asylum Support Office, 2016 Neither EASO nor any person acting on its behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained herein. Printed in Luxembourg Printed on elemental chlorine-free bleached paper (ECF)

5 EASO Annual General Report Contents List of abbreviations... 4 Introduction... 5 Executive summary Setting the scene: relevant developments in EASO priorities in Permanent support EASO training Quality support Country of origin information Specific programmes Cooperation with members of the courts and tribunals EASO activities on children, including unaccompanied minors Trafficking in human beings Information gathering on the phenomenon of facilitation of secondary movements during the asylum determination procedure EASO list of available languages Operational support Asylum Intervention Pool Operational support Tailor-made/special support to Member States with specific needs Emergency support Relocation Joint processing activities Synergies between asylum and migration Reception and integration Information and analysis support Information and documentation system Annual report on the situation of asylum in the EU Early warning and preparedness system Third country support External dimension Resettlement EASO s framework, network and organisation Management board Cooperation network of EASO Cooperation with the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission Cooperation with UNHCR and other international organisations Cooperation with EU agencies and JHA agencies Consultative Forum Communication Management of resources EASO external evaluation Annexes Budget execution and financial report Budget execution of commitment appropriations per fund source Budget execution of payment appropriations per fund source Breakdown of EASO staff...35

6 4 EASO Annual General Report 2015 List of abbreviations 26 EU+ 24 EU Member Sates + Norway and Switzerland AIP AST CEAS COI EASO EMN EMN REG ENAC ENP ENPI EPRA EPS EU eu-lisa Europol FRA Frontex GDISC GPS HOP HROP IAS IARLJ ICT IDS IGC IOM JHA LGB NCP NCPI RDPP SSP THB UNHCR Asylum Intervention Pool asylum support team Common European Asylum System country of origin information European Asylum Support Office European Migration Network European Migration Network Return Expert Group EASO network on the activities on children European neighbourhood policy European neighbourhood and partnership instrument European Platform of Reception Agencies early warning and preparedness system European Union European Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice European Police Office European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union General Directors of Immigration Services Conference Group for the Provision of Statistics hotspot operating plan hotspot-relocation operating plan Internal Audit Service International Association of Refugee Law Judges information and communication technology information documentation system Intergovernmental Consultations on Migration, Asylum and Refugees International Organization for Migration Justice and Home Affairs lesbian, gay and bisexual persons national contact point national contact points on integration regional development and protection programme special support plan trafficking of human beings United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

7 EASO Annual General Report Introduction The EASO annual general report lists and describes the achievements of the Agency in 2015 together with the resources employed. The structure of the report reflects the EASO Annual work programme 2015 and provides a detailed account of the progress against the objectives and performance indicators identified in the annual work programme. Key information concerning EASO s organisation, publication and the management of human and financial resources are also provided. The annual general report is prepared in accordance with Article 29(1)(c) of the EASO Regulation and adopted by the Management Board of EASO on 6-7 June The annual general report is sent to the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission, including the Internal Audit Service (IAS), and the Court of Auditors no later than 15 June The annual general report is a public document and has been translated to all official languages of the EU. In 2015, in line with the Communication on the guidelines for the programming document for decentralised agencies (C(2014)9641) of 16 December 2014, EASO has also drafted a Consolidated annual activity report 2015 in accordance with the new reporting requirements established by the Framework Financial Regulation (Article 47). The Consolidated annual activity report includes a declaration of assurance by the executive director, stating that the information contained in the report presents a true and fair view of whether the resources assigned to the activities have been used for the intended purpose in line with the principle of sound financial management and that the controls put in place give the necessary guarantees on the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions; it includes the final accounts 2015, extensive budgetary and financial management reports, the internal controls developed by the Agency, the internal and external audits performed during the year of reference, as well as information on access to documents and on EASO publications. Part I (Policy Achievements) of the EASO Consolidated annual activity report is based on the annual general report. The Consolidated annual activity report shall be sent, together with the assessment of the EASO Management Board, to the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission, including the IAS, and the Court of Auditors no later than 1 July 2016.

8 6 EASO Annual General Report 2015 Executive summary The activities EASO has implemented in 2015 can be divided into five focus areas: permanent support, special support, emergency support, information and analysis support and third country support. Within its permanent support activities, EASO delivered 23 train-the-trainer sessions, with the participation of 275 trainers from 26 EU+ States, organised 8 regional training sessions, developed 2 new training modules and updated 3 modules, developed 3 training handbooks and an Annual training report based on the training cockpit, organised the Annual Didactic Seminar, 1 training meeting for national contact points (NCPs) and launched the procurement for a new learning management system. EASO s work on the quality of asylum processes and decisions included a thematic mapping on the Dublin procedure, the appeals procedure, and the practical response to high influx situations. EASO also developed thematic reports on access to procedure, special procedures, identification of persons with special needs, the Dublin procedure, and the appeals procedure. Practical guides on the personal interview, evidence assessment, the implementation of Article 15(c) QD, the identification of persons with special needs and access to procedure for first contact officials were also prodcued. The annual meeting of the NCPs on quality, was also held. EASO furthermore strengthened its cooperation with the members of the Courts and Tribunals by organising an annual conference and 4 events including 1 in Luxembourg and developing judicial analyses on Exclusion, introduction to the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), and qualification for international protection. In the area of trafficking in human beings (THB), EASO organised 2 expert meetings and started the development of a training tool on THB. An EASO practical cooperation conference on unaccompanied minors and 2 thematic meetings were organised and a practical guide on family tracing is being finalised. The EASO network on the Activities on Children (ENAC) was launched. With regards to country of origin information (COI), EASO further developed the COI portal which served 610 active users with approximately documents, created 2 new COI specific networks on Eritrea and Ukraine bringing the total number of networks to 9, organised 4 practical cooperation meetings and 1 meeting of the National Common Portal Administrators, 2 meetings of the Strategic COI Network, 2 training seminars, and processed 7 COI queries. In addition, EASO produced 7 COI reports (Afghanistan security situation and its update, Eritrea focus report, Pakistan, Nigeria, Russian Federation, Somalia security situations) and a guide on COI and lesbian, gay and bisexual persons (LGB), and an internal COI Report Referencing Guide. Special support was provided to Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and Cyprus. EASO organised a number of practical cooperation meetings on tools to provide support, contingency planning, relocation and reception. Furthermore, EASO, in collaboration with other stakeholders, implemented the second phase joint processing pilots (asylum application pilot, asylum determination pilot and vulnerability assessment pilot), finalised a manual on joint processing activities and organised a practical workshop with experts who participate in the pilots. EASO provided emergency support to Greece and Italy within the hotspots framework. EASO organised 2 meetings of the Asylum Intervention Pool (AIP) NCPs. EASO supported the EU relocation programme from Greece and Italy since September In the area of information and analysis support, EASO published its 2014 annual report on the situation of asylum in the EU with inputs from various stakeholders. In addition, EASO published 4 quarterly asylum reports, 12 monthly snapshots, 12 weekly overview reports, and 6 ad hoc reports. Moreover, EASO organised 3 meetings with the Group for the Provision of Statistics (GPS), fully implemented the stage II of its early warning and preparedness system (EPS) and developed a proposal for EPS stage III, which was presented to the Management Board in June, leading to the first data collection on 15 September EASO also published a report entitled Description of the Hungarian Asylum System in June On third country support, EASO continued the implementation of its EASO external dimension strategy, particularly through the implementation of a European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) project with Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia.

9 EASO Annual General Report EASO established an external dimension network and organised 3 practical cooperation meetings and 14 activities under the ENPI project. EASO participated in several meetings with regional development and protection programmes (RDPPs). EASO organised a workshop on resettlement on 2 October 2015, focusing on new resettlement countries. With regard to EASO s organisation and cooperation with stakeholders, EASO organised 3 management board meetings, held its 5th consultative forum meeting and consulted the civil society on various topics. On 23 September, EASO also organised a conference entitled 5 years of EASO and the Common European Asylum System: results and perspectives. The conference was addressed by a number of high profile speakers, including the Acting President of Malta, HE Mrs Dolores Cristina, Hon MEP Jean Lambert, Mr Antonio Vitorino, European Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs ( ), Dr Volker Türk, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, UNHCR Dr Demetrios G. Papademetriou, Distinguished Senior Fellow and President Emeritus, MPI President, MPI Europe. Over 200 Member State representatives, civil society organisations and academia participated. Various high level visits were organised, including the European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Secretary General Mr Lamberto Zannier. Finally, EASO significantly strengthened its internal and external communication: press releases and newsletters were regularly issued and an EASO info day was organised on 19 June 2015 in Member States and in the European Parliament. EASO organised 5 Joint Contact Committee meetings with the European Commission. Finally, the EASO External evaluation was finalised and the report published in December EASO s key results in meetings and workshops organised national staff trained in ETC 2 new training modules 3 training modules updated 272 persons relocated civil society organisations consulted EPS stage III fully implemented 3 second-phase pilot projects on joint processing and 1 pilot project on information gathering on the phenomenon of facilitation during the asylum determination process 4 operational support plans 34 publications 9 COI networks, 4 COI reports published 18 policy queries and 7 COI queries views of EASO website 5 Joint Contact Committee meetings organised with the European Commission 5 Years of EASO & the CEAS Conference.

10 8 EASO Annual General Report Setting the scene: relevant developments in 2015 In 2015, a record number of more than applications for international protection were made in the EU+, representing both the highest number and the sharpest year-to-year growth since the beginning of EU-level data collection in In the wake of the recent tragic incidents in the Mediterranean, on 20 April 2015, at the joint meeting of foreign and interior ministers, Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Commissioner Avramopoulos presented a 10-point plan outlining immediate actions to be taken in response to the crisis in the Mediterranean. The European Council, on 23 April 2015, issued a statement ( 1 ) outlining various measures several of them involving EASO aimed at preventing further loss of life at sea and at tackling the root causes of the human emergency that the EU is facing. This was followed by a European Parliament resolution on 29 April 2015 ( 2 ). On 13 May 2015, the European Commission adopted the European agenda on migration ( 3 ), which outlines a series of steps that the EU should take to build a coherent and comprehensive approach to reap the benefits and address the challenges deriving from migration. Following the European Council Conclusions of 25 and 26 June 2015 ( 4 ), at the 8 and 9 July 2015 informal Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council, Member States in principle supported the European Commission s proposal to use the emergency response mechanism under Article 78(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to relocate Syrian and Eritrean applicants for international protection from Greece and Italy. Likewise, Member States supported a Commission recommendation for a European resettlement scheme. On 14 September 2015 and 22 September 2015, the Council adopted Decision (EU) 2015/1523 ( 5 ) and (EU) 2015/1601 ( 6 ) respectively, establishing provisional measures in the area of international protection for the benefit of Greece and Italy. All these developments have significant implications on EASO activities, mainly in Greece and Italy through the socalled hotspots approach, in particular on registration of applications for international protection, joint processing of asylum applications, referral of potential outgoing Dublin take-charge requests, and assistance with the relocation of applicants for international protection from Greece and Italy. Resettlement and humanitarian admission programmes continued in On 20 July 2015, following the Commission recommendation on a European resettlement scheme, 27 Member States together with Dublin associated States agreed to resettle through multilateral and national schemes displaced persons from outside the EU who were in clear need of international protection within 2 years. This marked the first common EU effort on resettlement. The deadline for transposition of the recast EU asylum acquis elapsed in July 2015, and Member States took further steps towards implementing the relevant provisions in their national systems. ( 1 ) Special meeting of the European Council, 23 April 2015 statement: special-euco-statement/. This part of the European Agenda on Migration incorporates and further develops the initiatives included in the roadmap that the Commission presented as a follow up to the Statement of the European Council of 23 April. ( 2 ) P8_TA-PROV(2015)0176, available at eu/sides/getdoc.do?pubref=-//ep//nonsgml+ta+p8-ta doc+pdf+v0//en. ( 3 ) COM(2015) 240 final. ( 4 ) EUCO 22/15. ( 5 ) Council Decision (EU) 2015/1523 of 14 September 2015 establishing provisional measures in the area of international protection for the benefit of Italy and of Greece, OJ L 239, , pp ( 6 ) Council Decision (EU) 2015/1601 of 22 September 2015 establishing provisional measures in the area of international protection for the benefit of Italy and Greece, OJ L 248, , pp

11 EASO Annual General Report EASO priorities in 2015 In 2015, EASO consolidated and further developed its existing core activities, but new activities will be promoted following a step-by-step approach. EASO invested significant efforts in implementing the activities assigned to it in the European agenda on migration, which include several activities in Greece and Italy as part of the hotspots approach. EASO focused its efforts on contributing to the effective, coherent and consistent practical implementation of the recast EU asylum acquis. Key to the further development of the CEAS is sufficient capacity in EU+ countries national asylum systems. EASO developed a more central role in coordinating these capacity building measures through practical cooperation activities, including training, COI and quality reports. EASO enhanced its capacity to collect and exchange information and documentation on asylum systems, as well as its EPS. EASO continued its support to the external dimension of the CEAS in line with the EASO external dimension strategy, in agreement with the European Commission and within the framework of the EU external relations policy. EASO organised advance practical cooperation activities for EU+ countries, the European Commission and other stakeholders, including conferences, workshops, expert meetings and specialised networks in order to discuss and take action on various issues of EU-wide relevance in the field of asylum (e.g. on policy, implementation of EU asylum law, situations in countries of origin, best practices, emergency flows, etc.). EASO also streamlined the methodology and activities to promote practical cooperation in the field of asylum. EASO organised practical workshops back to back to the meetings of the contact committees on themes identified by Member States. EASO s main results in 2015 Start implementing the activities earmarked for EASO in the European agenda on migration and 10-point plan Strengthening the role of common training and professional development in the field of asylum Improving the quality of asylum processes and decisions Producing more common COI Developing joint processing Stimulating judicial dialogue in the field of asylum Supporting better identification of vulnerable persons Collecting and exchanging accurate and up to date information and documentation on the functioning of the CEAS and further developing an EPS to provide analysis of trends Providing timely and comprehensive operational support to Member States Promoting adequate reception conditions and integration measures Fostering synergies between migration and asylum practices, including on return of failed asylum seekers Supporting the external dimension of the CEAS

12 10 EASO Annual General Report Permanent support EASO s permanent support to Member States aims at supporting the implementation of the CEAS and improving the quality of the asylum processes and systems. Its aim is to promote a consistent implementation of the CEAS within the EU and to share common knowledge and skills, organisation and procedures, information, resources and best practices. 3.1 EASO training EASO s main results in participants from 26 EU+ States and other stakeholders participated in 23 train-the-trainers sessions organised by EASO 271 national training sessions in the EASO training curriculum administered for asylum officers The development of 2 training modules was concluded and 3 new modules were initiated 3 training modules have been undergoing updates, while the full curriculum has been revised in view of the certification of EASO training 1 training report published EASO s training activities aim at supporting EU+ countries in developing the knowledge, skills and competencies of their staff responsible for asylum matters. In line with the framework created by the training strategy ( 7 ) adopted in 2012, EASO follows a two-track approach: on one hand, EASO develops relevant training material and, on the other hand, EASO organises training based on a train-the-trainer system. The EASO training curriculum ( 8 ) covers core aspects of the asylum procedure by means of soon-to-be 19 interactive modules that follow a blended learning methodology, combining online e-learning and faceto-face sessions. EASO performs regularly targeted consultations with international and civil society organisations, through the Training Reference Group consisting of representatives from the European Commission, UNHCR, the Odysseus Network, the European Council of Refugees and Exiles and other ad hoc members. The involvement of these entities plays an important role in the training development process and in maintaining good quality standards. EASO also organises annual NCP meetings, which are used as a platform to discuss training needs and future training developments with EU+ States. ( 7 ) ( 8 ) In 2015, the curriculum was expanded by the development of a number of new modules whilst some other modules were upgraded. Two modules: Gender, gender identity and sexual orientation and Reception, were finalised. The development of three other modules started during this year and is expected to finish in 2016: a module on didactic methods, a module on fundamental rights and international protection in the EU and a module on an introduction to international protection. Furthermore, the update of three existing modules started in 2015 and is expected to finish in 2016: the modules on evidence assessment, on the Dublin III Regulation and on the end of protection. EASO published a handbook on interviewing vulnerable persons and started the development of the handbook on gender, gender identity and sexual orientation module and the handbook on evidence assessment, which are expected to be finalised in The aim of these training handbooks is to serve as a reference tool for those who have already completed the online and the face-to-face sessions of the respective training module. The handbooks accompany asylum practitioners in the course of their daily work by providing a summary of the key elements of the training material. In the course of 2015, 23 train-the-trainer sessions were delivered in the following modules: Asylum Procedure Directive, Country of origin information, Dublin III Regulation, Evidence assessment, Exclusion, Inclusion, Interview techniques, Interviewing children, Interviewing vulnerable persons, Module for managers, Common European Asylum System, Gender, gender identity and sexual orientation, and Reception. 275 trainees from 26 Member States, Norway and other stakeholders participated in the train-the-trainers sessions (including 9 participants from EASO s staff). As in 2014 and in order to facilitate broader participation, EASO organised regional trainings covering a combination of modules. 8 train-the-trainer sessions were delivered Vienna, Brussels, Tallinn and Germany and one session within the EASO External Dimension was organised in Istanbul. Those sessions involved the participation of 106 asylum officers from Member States, from Western Balkan countries and from Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia (ENPI countries). Furthermore, 271 national training sessions were administered by EASO on its e-learning platform, training officers. Moreover, progress was made in the development of a certification for the EASO training. Four expert meetings were organised. All modules of the EASO Training Curriculum were revised, in order to develop

13 EASO Annual General Report all elements necessary for the certification (i.e. shift from learning objectives to learning outcomes and develop European Qualification Framework descriptors). Preparatory work was undertaken for receiving external consultancy to support the EASO training certification process. In 2015, efforts were taken to start a project to migrate from the current learning management system to a new platform. With the assistance of an external consultancy company, EASO has analysed its needs, defined technical specifications and an open call of tender has been launched in August. The evaluation of tenders started in Q4. The framework contract was to be awarded and signed in January EASO continued to report on the progress in the implementation of the EASO Training Curriculum. The Annual training report for 2014 was published in 2015 and provides key figures and a compilation of EASO training country factsheets. 3.2 Quality support EASO s main results in 2015 Development of the EASO practical tool on identification of persons with special needs (IPSN tool) Development of the EASO-Frontex practical tools on access to procedure for first-contact officials Preparation of the establishment of the EASO Network of Dublin Units Publication of Quality matrix reports presenting key findings from the mapping exercises conducted on access to procedure, special procedures and identification of persons with special needs. 3 plenary thematic meetings and 6 working group meetings organised EASO aims at supporting Member States in achieving common standards within the CEAS through practical cooperation, mapping of EU+ States practices and policies and subsequently the development of practical tools. The EASO Quality matrix initiative, which was launched in 2012, intends to cover comprehensively all areas of the CEAS by developing a set of interrelated deliverables (mapping of Member States current practices and policies, thematic meetings and reports, list of projects and initiatives, practical tools). The Quality matrix also enables EASO to identify Member States support needs. In 2015, the Quality matrix mapping focused on the Dublin procedure and the appeal procedures. Thematic meetings were organised jointly with the contact committee meeting dedicated to the same topic. In 2015, EASO also developed and made available on its website a number of practical tools and guides to support the daily work of asylum officers and other relevant officials: the EASO practical guide on the personal interview, the EASO practical guide on evidence assessment, and the EASO practical guide on the implementation of Article 15(c) of the Qualification Directive (QD). The EASO practical tool on identification of persons with special needs was also created to support the timely identification of applicants with special needs in line with the Asylum Procedures Directive (recast) and Reception Conditions Directive (recast). This online tool is being promoted for integration in national processes, in particular in Member States which receive special support from EASO (BG and CY). Furthermore, EASO developed jointly with the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (Frontex), and in cooperation with the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and UNHCR, Practical tools on access to procedure for first-contact officials, to help first-contact officials identifying persons who may wish to apply for international protection. Moreover, the toolkit provides guidance on follow-up assistance and procedural guarantees that are to be provided to such persons (provision of information, registration, referral and other assistance and procedural guarantees). These tools are expected to be published early These tools are currently available in English and are being translated in a number of EU languages (up to 18) in order to faciliate their use. In 2015, EASO continued its work on preparing and publishing thematic reports on key issues of the CEAS. Three thematic reports, the Quality matrix report on access to procedure, the Quality matrix report on special procedures and the Quality matrix report on identification of persons with special needs were published and shared with Member States, the European Commission and UNHCR for internal use. Futhermore, preparatory work was undertaken for the publication of two additional reports: the Quality matrix report on Dublin procedure and the Quality matrix report on appeals procedures. The publication of these reports is planned for In addition, the annual meeting of the quality NCPs took place in November with 27 participants from 14 EU+ countries, UNHCR and the European Commission. The meeting included a dedicated session on the topical issue of possible practical responses to the situation of high influx, especially with respect to ensuring quality of asylum processes. The EASO Paper on ensuring quality

14 12 EASO Annual General Report 2015 in high influx situations was prepared as an outcome of this session and shared with the Member States for internal use. In line with the EU Agenda on Migration of May 2015, EASO facilitated the development of a concept note and draft terms of reference for the new EASO Network of Dublin units relying on the Quality matrix methodology. These documents were shared with EU+ countries for consultation and will be finalised in early Moreover, EASO consolidated the EASO Quality network by introducing terms of reference for its work. 3.3 Country of origin information EASO s main results in COI specialist networks 4 COI specialist network meetings 4 practical cooperation meetings 1 workshop on COI and LGB 2 workshops on internet and social media for COI research 4 COI reports 1 practical research guide 2 StratNet meetings EASO s work in the field of COI aims at developing a comprehensive EU COI system, by raising and harmonising standards together with Member States and the European Commission via a network approach. The development of the EASO specialist networks promotes the harmonisation of policies and practices among Member States. Information on COI needs and products are shared and the duplication of efforts avoided. Networks also engage in joint assessment of key sources of COI, discuss specific asylum-relevant issues in countries of origin and offer a framework for joint COI production and jointly answering COI queries. In line with this objective, in 2015 the EASO COI network approach, launched in 2013, was further developed: 2 new networks were established on Eritrea and Ukraine, in addition to the 7 networks already established (Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Somalia and Syria). The 9 networks consist of 189 participants. 3 practical cooperation meetings were organised on Afghanistan, Nigeria and Ukraine (COI, policy and trafficking in human beings), one on COI and LGB, in addition to a practical cooperation conference on Afghanistan. A first evaluation of the work of the COI networks has taken place in March/April 2016 where high satisfaction levels were revealed. In 2015, EASO published 4 COI reports: Afghanistan: security situation, Eritrea country focus, Pakistan country overview, and Nigeria: sex trafficking of women. Researchers and experts from various Member States were involved in the drafting and peer reviewing processes. Also, updates of the Afghanistan: security situation report and of the Somalia: security situation report (published in January and February 2016, respectively) and a report on the Russian Federation: justice and security sector have been finalised (to be published in 2016). Concerning the methodology of COI research, two training workshops were organised: on Internet security and privacy in COI research and Setting up social media tools for COI research. Also a practical guide on researching COI and LGB was published in May 2015, and presented during a workshop on COI and LGB in May As regards the general EASO COI report methodology published in 2012, its revision is ongoing and takes into account recent experiences with drafting different types of EASO COI reports. In 2015, EASO made substantial progress in the update and further development of the EASO COI portal. The portal, which was built by the European Commission and transferred to EASO in 2012, enables asylum officials to access a wide range of COI from a single point of entry. At the end of 2015, there were COI-related documents currently linked via the portal, which now has a publicly accessible interface and 300 registered users. A beta version of the new EASO COI portal platform was launched on 5 February 2016 and new features will be added in the course of At the managerial level, the strategic network, composed of COI heads of units or experts otherwise responsible for COI from all EU+ countries, met in April and November 2015, providing strategic input and feedback on EASO COI activities and exchanging managerial experiences with regard to COI research.

15 EASO Annual General Report Specific programmes Cooperation with members of the courts and tribunals EASO s main results in judicial analyses finalised on Exclusion and An introduction to the CEAS respectively Further professional development activities undertaken, including 1 professional development workshop on implementing the judicial analysis on Article 15(c) QD 1 high-level conference on Judging on the CEAS: key issues in the judicial implementation of the CEAS organised in cooperation with the Court of Justice of the European Union In order to support the full and coherent implementation of the CEAS, EASO cooperates with EU+ countries courts and tribunals. EASO s activities are undertaken in line with the principles adopted in 2013, with full respect to the independence of courts and tribunals, as well as the methodology for professional development activities available to members of courts and tribunals (revised version, October 2015). To fulfil the professional development needs of members of courts and tribunals, EASO has intensified its efforts to create a professional development series consisting of judicial analyses on specific subjects, which are to be accompanied by judicial trainer s guidance notes. In addition to the judicial analysis on Article 15(c) QD ( 9 ), which is already accompanied by such a judicial trainer s guidance note, in 2015, two further judicial analyses were finalised by EASO. Work was completed on a judicial analysis on exclusion in accordance with Articles 12 and 17 QD. In addition, EASO, in cooperation with the European Chapter of the International Association of Refugee Law Judges (IARLJ-Europe) completed a judicial analysis on an introduction to the CEAS. Furthermore in 2015, EASO has started the preparation of a judicial analysis on qualification for international protection, also with the support of IARLJ-Europe. In developing the judicial analysis on exclusion, EASO organised 3 expert working group meetings at which the drafting team composed of judges and a representative of UNHCR attended. A high-level practical cooperation event on Judging on the CEAS: key issues in the judicial implementation of the CEAS was organised with the cooperation and at the premises of the Court of Justice of the EU in Luxembourg. In addition to a large number of high-level speakers from judiciary, academia and other areas, the event gathered 95 participants from 28 EU+ countries. This meeting was intended to act as a forum for members of courts and tribunals who deal with questions of asylum law to engage in discussion with peers from a wide range of EU+ countries. It represented an important opportunity for an exchange of practice and experience between judges with a view to ultimately furthering the mutual understanding and harmonisation of judicial standards throughout the EU+ countries in respect of the CEAS. It also provided a timely opportunity for EASO to undertake a step towards raising the profile of EASO among the wider judicial community as a provider of support and, in particular, professional development. In addition to this high-level meeting, EASO also organised a workshop for potential judicial trainers on implementing the Judicial Analysis on Article 15(c) QD in national training activities. This event, held on April 2015, was attended by 18 members of courts and tribunals from 13 Member States and 2 judges from Germany and the United Kingdom acted as judicial trainers. Practical support in the form of professional development was also provided to members of the judiciary in Germany regarding the methods of researching and assessing country-of-origin information. This event took place on 18 June 2015 in Brunswick, Lower Saxony. Finally, an initial meeting examining the possibility of establishing a further practical cooperation measure in the form of a case-law database was held. Experts attended from a range of Member States as well as the Court of Justice of the EU and the European Court of Human Rights, academia and civil society. A specific proposal on this subject was then presented at the annual coordination and planning meeting of the EASO network of court and tribunal members as to how to proceed with collecting and collating case-law. The already established EASO network of court and tribunal members maintained its activities in 2015, including its annual coordination and planning meeting. At this meeting, further practical cooperation activities, such as the case-law database were discussed and endorsed. Moreover, the further steps to be taken in the creation of the professional development series for members of courts and tribunals for the coming years were discussed. ( 9 ) Qualification-Directive EU-A-judicial-analysis.pdf

16 14 EASO Annual General Report EASO activities on children, including unaccompanied minors EASO s main results in plenary meetings on children and 1 advanced expert workshop organised Development of an EASO practical guide on family tracing Launch of ENAC In 2015, EASO continued to provide support and to facilitate practical cooperation on issues relating to asylum seeking children, including unaccompanied children. In doing so, it takes into account the work on protection of the rights of the child developed, inter alia, by the European Commission, in particular in line with the EU action plan on unaccompanied minors, FRA, UNHCR and the UN General Committee on the Rights of the Child. ENAC was inaugurated in 2015 and an online platform for the network was launched. A thematic meeting on children victims of human trafficking and family tracing was organised with the participation of 14 EU+ States representatives and EU Agencies, UNHCR, and other international organisations and non-governmental organisations with expertise on the topic. The meeting was devoted to identification and prevention of the risk of (re)trafficking of children. In addition, EASO took the opportunity to present the current state of play of the upcoming EASO practical guide on family tracing and of the EASO Experts Network on Activities of Children. The internal draft of the Practical guide on family tracing was finalised. The document will be published in the 2nd quarter This guide is intended to provide guidance on the family-tracing process for asylum officials and other relevant stakeholders. EASO continued to collaborate actively with the European Commission and contributed to the final report on the EU action plan on unaccompanied minors. The third annual conference on EASO activities on children was held on December 2015, with the participation of 29 representatives from 13 EU+ States, the European Commission, UNHCR, as well as organisations of civil society (Child Circle; Defence for Children-ECPAT the Netherlands; ADCS; International Organization for Migration (IOM); Missing children Europe; NIDOS; Unicef). In addition to taking stock of the EASO activities on children, the conference addressed child-related topics relevant in the international protection context, such as the best interests of the child and age assessment Trafficking in human beings EASO s main results in conference and 1 practical cooperation meeting on THB organised by EASO 1 training tool on THB in development Further coordination and cooperation with JHA agencies in the fight against trafficking Establishment of the EASO expert network on trafficking in human beings (EASO THBNet) EASO aims at supporting the EU strategy towards the eradication of trafficking in human beings ( ) and its coherent implementation in cooperation with the European Commission and other EU institutions, bodies and agencies, such as the European Police College, the European Police Office (Europol), FRA and Frontex. To achieve this objective EASO supports policy coherence and mainstreams THB related aspects in all its activities. In 2015, EASO attended three coordination meetings of the THB contact points in JHA agencies organised by the Office of the EU Anti Trafficking Coordinator. The aim of these meetings was to ensure that agencies exchange information on all activities and actions related to THB and, whenever appropriate, work closely together in order to provide for synergies and avoid duplication of tasks while fostering a multidisciplinary approach. Additionally, EASO organised two events on THB. The 2nd EASO annual conference on THB and international protection was held in May, with a focus on the Identification of victims of trafficking of human beings who may be in need of international protection. Challenges and solutions for the proper identification of potential victims of trafficking of human beings (THB) during the asylum procedure, as well as detection of possible abuse of the procedure were discussed and identified, leading to the initiation of the development of specific training material by EASO. EASO also organised a practical cooperation workshop on THB and international protection: a special focus on victims from Nigeria. This workshop was focused on expert discussions of case studies of THB-related Nigerian applications and the main difficulties case officers face when it comes to assessing their claims. The workshop was organised back to back with a COI meeting on Nigeria in order to build synergies between COI and policy in this field. Finally, in order to enhance practical cooperation on THB, EASO has set up a network of experts in the EU+ supported by an electronic platform.

17 EASO Annual General Report Information gathering on the phenomenon of facilitation of secondary movements during the asylum determination procedure In line with action 3.6 of the Action plan of the Commission Communication on the Task Force Mediterranean ( 10 ), EASO, together with Frontex, Europol and the European Union s Judicial Cooperation Unit, engaged in a joint pilot project with Germany and Sweden to gain knowledge about the phenomenon of facilitation of secondary movements during the asylum process, in order to analyse trends and profiles. The aim of this project was therefore to systematically collect information and gain knowledge during the asylum process on the phenomenon of facilitation of secondary movements in order to analyse trends and profiles with a view to a possible broader use of the methodology and lessons learned during this project. The first meeting of the project team took place on 3 and 4 September The project is expected to run until October EASO list of available languages EASO supports Member States in obtaining easily access to available languages in the other Member States through the list of available languages. In 2015, EASO maintained the list to its current state. In Q4 documentation for customised consultancy services on technical solutions to facilitate the use of the list of available languages and language analysis has been prepared. One particular challenge is related to the limited availability of interpreters in rare languages. Furthermore, the asylum authorities are facing difficulties in providing the necessary logistical arrangements to ensure the presence of an interpreter for every procedural step where translation is needed. Language analysis is a tool that is widely used by some Member States for credibility assessment and identification purposes, while some other Member States currently have no access to/information on this service. Using the most recent information and communication technology (ICT) developments, tools like videoconferencing or electronic communication can provide a solution for some of the challenges mentioned above. Further developments for the list and relevant meetings were postponed due to urgent priorities in 2015 in other areas of EASO s work. ( 10 ) COM(2013) 869 of 4 December 2013.

18 16 EASO Annual General Report Operational support 4.1 Asylum Intervention Pool The AIP was developed to enable EASO to react in a timely manner to emergency situations and to Member States requests for support. EASO updated the pool of experts (343 experts in 2012 grouped in 13 profiles, 497 experts in grouped in 20 profiles, 500 experts in 2015 grouped in 18 profiles), kept open communication lines with the AIP NCPs on all matters pertaining to the asylum support teams (ASTs) and provided constant assistance on all issues relating to the conditions of deployment of those teams. 2 meetings with the AIP NCPs were organised to discuss different aspects and tools relevant for the deployment of experts, such as participation of national experts in EASO operational activities, planning of future operations along the year as part of the European Agenda for Migration and further use of AIP to serve as an active tool of support of solidarity in line with EASO Regulation. In its meeting on 2 March 2015, the Management Board repealed Decision No 8 on the overall number and the profiles of the experts to be made available for the ASTs and adopted the Management Board Decision No 24 of 2 March 2015 on the profiles and the overall number of the experts made available for the AIP in view of their participation in the operational support activities coordinated by the agency. While some profiles were deleted or changed, others were amended. The new list of profiles covered 18 experts profiles and the overall number of experts in the AIP was decided to be a minimum of 100. Following the adoption of the new profiles list, EASO sent a request to AIP NCPs on 6 March 2015, enabling EASO to keep the AIP updated. NCPs are requested to forward the CV of experts together with the nomination notification. NCP s are also responsible for informing EASO on any changes concerning availability of their experts to this pool. The pool remains open to new nominations and EASO encourages and welcomes any new nominations to the pool. 19 Member States have constituted their national expert pools and informed EASO for further activating the AIP. 298 individual experts were nominated by the Member States in Considering their nomination in different types of expertise, the AIP is now formed of around 500 experts. An updated EASO Code of conduct ( 11 ) for persons participating in EASO operational support activities, was published and distributed to all experts before EASO Experts providing information on the relocation process in Italy. ( 11 ) CONDUCT.pdf

19 EASO Annual General Report deployment with EASO. It sets out principles and rules which guide the conduct of persons participating in EASO operational support activities, namely members of the ASTs from participating Member States deployed under Article 16 of the EASO Regulation, experts from Member States participating in the implementation of the special support plans (SSPs) and persons participating in EASO joint processing activities. A feedback system on the support provided by deployed experts as part of a results-based monitoring and evaluation system for operations was presented and discussed with AIP NCPs in September A manual for EASO staff was developed and finalised in December 2015 for the implementation of the monitoring and evaluation system, including feedback to experts. 4.2 Operational support Tailor-made/special support to Member States with specific needs EASO s main results in 2015 Special support plans to 4 countries (Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and Cyprus) Cyprus: 22 experts deployed to Cyprus from 8 MS, 16 support activities implemented, 4 CY experts participated in EASO Train the trainer sessions and meetings, 10 CY experts participated in study visits in DE and NL. Bulgaria: 31 experts deployed, 20 SSP activities implemented, 55 BG experts participated in trainings, study visits and meetings Greece: 21 experts deployed, 7 SSP activities implemented, 33 GR experts participated in trainings, study visits and meetings Italy: 4 special support teams and 2 long-term experts deployed, 40 IT experts participated in trainings Building on the experience of the previous years, in 2015 EASO developed further measures to assist Member States in need of special support in their asylum and reception systems. EASO provided special support to Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and Cyprus on the basis of SSPs. This support was rendered in accordance with the request by those Member States and the assessment by EASO based, among others, on its analyses using the EPS. Bulgaria A Special Support Plan was signed between EASO and the Minister of Interior of Bulgaria on 5 December 2014 aiming to improve and enhance Bulgaria s asylum and reception system. The duration of the SSP is until the end of June In 2015, EASO experts have provided support to the State Agency for Refugees in further developing an inter-institutional screening and referral mechanism for persons with special needs, enhancing social work and activities in reception centres, updating COI factsheets and standard operating procedures, developing standard training and code of conduct for interpreters, further developing quality assurance tools for the asylum procedure, induction training for newlyhired staff, workshops and tools for EU funding as well as providing tailor-made workshops, including for judges. Other support measures allowed Bulgarian officials to participate actively in EASO practical cooperation meetings in the area of quality, statistics, COI and children, train-the-trainer sessions in the EASO training curriculum and study visits for exchange of good practices. In total in 2015, 31 experts from 10 Member States participated in the implementation of 20 activities in the framework of the Special support plan to Bulgaria. Furthermore, 49 Bulgarian experts participated in EASO practical cooperation meetings and 6 Bulgarian experts in study visits in Germany and the Netherlands. Greece On 13 May 2015, EASO and Greece signed a new SSP for a period of 12 months (until May 2016). EASO experts provided support in the area of Dublin III procedures, the development of several COI focus reports, long-term assistance in the area of EU funds and other financial resources. They also provided practical support to the first reception centre in Moria/Lesvos in the area of social work and daily activities, as well as training Greek personnel in the EASO training curriculum. Greek authorities have participated in several EASO train-thetrainers sessions, as well as in practical cooperation meetings in the area of COI and statistics/data. In total in 2015, 21 experts from 8 Member States participated in the implementation of 7 activities in the framework of the Special support plan to Greece. Furthermore, 31 Greek experts participated in EASO practical cooperation meetings and trainings and 2 Greek experts in a study visits in Germany. Italy In the context of the Special support plan to Italy ( 12 ), which has a duration until 31 March 2016, EASO provided technical and operational support to enhance Italy s instruments for the implementation of the EU asylum acquis. EASO and Italy worked together on a number of prioritised areas, such as COI and long-term support of ( 12 ) Italy-DEF_0.pdf

20 18 EASO Annual General Report 2015 the Italian Dublin unit. 40 Italian officials working with the National Asylum Commission and its subordinated Territorial Commissions attended EASO specialised training on COI in June 2015, in Rome. The trainers team was deployed by the National Asylum Commission to the Scuola Superiore dell Amministrazione dell Interno in a fourmember support team in order to facilitate and perform the face-to-face training session on the COI module within EASO s training curriculum for 40 participants. 4 special support teams have been deployed in the first part of the year 2015 (capacity building for territorial commissions 2 teams deployed in Rome and Verona, support to Dublin unit 1 team of 4 experts performing joint processing, support in the field of COI 1 team of 3 experts drafting a comprehensive mission statement and a training plan). Further to EASO special support team deployment in the National Asylum Commission, the name of the Italian COI unit was confirmed and a common format in producing responses to COI queries was developed, together with new internal rules on how to produce responses and guidance to judges and territorial commissions on how to ask for COI. Capacity building support in this field continued until March Two long-term experts were deployed in the second part of year 2015 in the field of Dublin-support and their work put the basis of the application of joint processing elements, based on the Procedural manual of the Italian Dublin unit, jointly developed by EASO and Italy in May Cyprus The implementation of the Special support plan to Cyprus ( 13 ) started in July 2014 with the support measures in the field of reception and open accommodation. On 1 July 2015 it was extended until 29 February In 2015 the SSP contained the following measures: Measure CY 1 Data collection and analytical capacity, Measure CY 2 International protection training, Measure CY 3 Identification of persons with special needs, Measure CY 4 Support minors/unaccompanied minors, Measure CY 5 Support in the field of reception, Measure CY 6 Study visits, Measure CY 7 Training, Measure CY 8 Support in enhancing the capacity of the Dublin Unit. In total in 2015, 22 experts from 8 Member States participated in the implementation of 16 activities in the framework of the Special support plan to Cyprus. Furthermore, 4 Cypriot experts participated in EASO train-the-trainer sessions and meetings and 10 Cypriot experts in study visits in Germany and the Netherlands. Inside one of the camps in Pozzallo, Italy. ( 13 ) SUPPORT%20PLAN%20TO%20CYPRUS_July_2015%20(without%20 signatures).pdf

21 EASO Annual General Report Emergency support EASO s main results in 2015 Emergency support to 2 countries (Greece, Italy) Greece: 11 experts deployed, 1 hotspot operating plan (HOP) activity implemented Italy: 17 experts deployed, 3 hotspot-relocation operating plan (HROP) activities implemented 272 persons relocated (82 from Greece, 190 from Italy) In 2015, EASO developed further its activities to support Member States under particular pressure in their asylum and reception system, particularly by providing support to Greece and Italy and by strengthening EASO s capacity to respond in a timely and effective manner to emergency situations. Greece On 30 September 2015, EASO and Greece signed a HOP for a period of three months. Asylum support teams were deployed in Lesvos to identify potential relocation candidates, provide relevant information about the program and international protection procedure, as well as refer them to the Greek Asylum Service. On the 17 December 2015, an amendment was signed to extend the HOP initially until March 2016 with automatic renewal until the end of According to the HOP, ASTs will continue to provide information to potential relocation candidates on Lesvos, Samos, Chios, Leros and Kos, refer interested candidates to the asylum service, support the asylum service during the registration process (on national assessment and exclusion issues), submission of Dublin and relocation cases (including the matching procedure) and provide support in the area of document fraud detection. In total in 2015, 11 experts from 9 Member States participated in the implementation of support measures in the framework of the HOP Greece (Measure HEL 1 information provision on relocation and referral to the Greek Asylum Service). By the end of 2015 approximately persons have been informed by EASO experts and over 500 have been referred to the regional asylum office in Lesvos. By the end of 2015, 82 persons were relocated from Greece. Italy Following up on the information sent to NCPs in May 2015 in reference to the EASO calls for experts for joint processing of applications in Italy, EASO discussed with the Italian asylum and police authorities a comprehensive package of operational support under the EC hotspot approach and started the hotspot-relocation support activities on 15 September 2015, under the framework of existing cooperation (SSP). A pilot phase of the hotspotrelocation started in Lampedusa (hotspot), Villa Sikania (registration hub) and Rome (registration hub and Dublin support), confirming the introduction of EASO support with this pre-identification, pre-registration and referral of potential outgoing Dublin take charge requests, as main phases of the hotspot approach for EASO ASTs deployed in Italy. On 12 December 2015, EASO and Italy signed a HROP to be implemented until the end of June 2016 with the possibility of extension. The HROP foresees the support to hotpots and relocation including the provision of information and pre-identification of potential relocation candidates and support with the registration of applicants for international protection (especially relocation candidates). In total in 2015, 33 experts from 17 Member States participated in the implementation of 3 hotspotrelocation support activities in Italy. By the end of 2015, 190 persons were relocated from Italy. By the end of 2015, EASO was active and supporting the hotspot-relocation process in two areas: Measure IT1 Lampedusa, Villa Sikania, Rome, Milano: capacity building pre-identification and registration of applications for international protection in view of the relocation procedure; Measure IT2 Dublin Unit in Rome: support to the take charge requests for relocation cases. 4.3 Relocation On 14 September 2015 and 22 September 2015, the Council adopted Decision (EU) 2015/1523 ( 14 ) and (EU) 2015/1601 ( 15 ) respectively, establishing provisional measures in the area of international protection for the benefit of Greece and Italy. These decisions had significant implications on EASO activities, mainly in Greece and Italy through the so-called hotspots approach, including on providing assistance with the relocation of applicants for international protection from Greece and Italy. In the context of implementation of the two decisions EASO developed specific activities in Italy and in Greece in the form of emergency support and aiming to support the two countries in implementing relocation. HOPs were signed with both countries and ASTs were deployed ( 14 ) Council Decision (EU) 2015/1523 of 14 September 2015 establishing provisional measures in the area of international protection for the benefit of Italy and of Greece, OJ L 239, , p ( 15 ) Council Decision (EU) 2015/1601 of 22 September 2015 establishing provisional measures in the area of international protection for the benefit of Italy and Greece, OJ L 248, , p

22 20 EASO Annual General Report 2015 to implement activities within the hotspot approach (see above under I ). By the end of 2015, 190 persons were relocated from Italy and 82 from Greece. EASO has offered advice to Greece and Italy on improving and completing their registration forms for applications for international protection in order to meet the requirements of the relocation scheme. EASO has designed the procedure for Member States of relocation to indicate the numbers of persons to be relocated, as well as their preferences and capacities to receive particularly vulnerable persons. EASO established and maintains the list of the NCPs for relocation. Also, EASO has developed an information leaflet on relocation and gave advice to other stakeholders on the communication strategy. EASO continues to work together with the Commission, the other relevant EU agencies and the Italian and Greek authorities on the permanent improvement of the relocation processes in the field. EASO is developing tools which can assist Member State experts and agents of the Italian and Greek authorities in the field of access to the asylum procedure, vulnerability assessment, nationality check and exclusion. EASO has extended its data collection under the EPS to the relocation procedure. In addition to the activities targeting Greece and Italy, in 2015 EASO participated in three EC relocation and resettlement fora and organised two practical cooperation meetings in synergy with these EC relocation and resettlement fora. 4.4 Joint processing activities In 2015, EASO carried out a number of pilot projects on joint processing, particularly within the framework of the Task Force Mediterranean. Following this experience EASO aimed in 2015 to conduct an evaluation of the projects and draft a handbook on joint processing. Furthermore, additional joint processing activities were prepared in 2014 and they were launched and completed in 2015: Asylum application pilot (PL as host country; concluded in February); Asylum determination pilot (NL as host country; concluded in March); Vulnerability assessment pilot (UK as host country; concluded in June). EASO has undertaken an evaluation of the outcome of the joint processing pilots. Two practical workshops were organised with the participation of experts deployed in joint processing support teams. The EASO report on joint processing activities and an EASO manual on joint processing were drafted and finalised as a result of these meetings. In 2015, within the context of the migration crisis, additional large-scale joint processing activities were launched by EASO in Italy and in Greece (see above under I.4.2.2). 4.5 Synergies between asylum and migration EASO aims to foster coherence in the implementation of activities in the fields of asylum and migration, in particular in the area of return of failed asylum seekers. This aspect is an integral part of an effective asylum system. EASO aims to explore possibilities of exchanging information and best practices to mainstream elements relevant to return of failed asylum seekers in close collaboration with the European Migration Network Return Expert Group (EMN REG). In 2015, EASO participated in relevant meetings on return organised by EMN REG, European Reintegration Network, Frontex and the Common Support Initiative on Return. The first meeting on the process following the rejection of an application for international protection has been postponed to Q Reception and integration EASO started building in 2014 its internal capacity for providing support on reception systems and conditions in Member States. To this end, synergies were developed with relevant experts networks in the area, particularly the European Platform of Reception Agencies (EPRA). A practical cooperation expert meeting on reception systems and conditions with EPRA was held in Malta in June 2015 and in December 2015 EASO participated in the full-round EPRA meeting in Brussels and presented the first results of the EASO data collection on reception and of the pilot training of the reception module. A data collection on reception has started as part of EPS stage III (see below under I.5.3). Additionally, EASO is developing a handbook on contingency planning, containing best practice guidance in EU Member States towards setting up a contingency plan in facing large and disproportionate migratory flows. The handbook is based on a contingency outline already developed by EASO, which provides an indication of the steps Member States could take in case of emergency. During 2015 one expert meeting was organised for the development of the handbook, which will be finalised and published in 2016, following additional drafting from EASO and confirmation by the Member States experts in the core group. During 2015, EASO and Ireland analysed together with the other Member States the replies to a specific questionnaire issued by the European Migration Network (EMN) on this topic. It was agreed that the development of such a handbook within the CEAS would encourage practical cooperation and exchanges of best practices, provide common contingency tools for those Member states

23 EASO Annual General Report which do not yet have contingency planning in place, as well as provide guidance for enhancing existing national contingency plans. With regard to integration, EASO was invited for the first time at the meeting of the national contact points on integration (NCPI) in March 2015 to present the agency and exchange views with NCPIs. Preliminary feedback was received from Member States on a possible EASO involvement in this field. Furthermore, EASO will also, building on existing initiatives and as per the European agenda on migration, develop the EASO EU+ network on reception.

24 22 EASO Annual General Report Information and analysis support 5.1 Information and documentation system In 2014, EASO started the development of a combined content management system and database the information documentation system (IDS) in the form of an IT tool which will provide a detailed and up-to-date overview of the practical functioning of the CEAS. IDS is planned to be a searchable library that provides comprehensive overviews of how each key stage of the asylum process is carried out in individual EU+ countries. These key elements include: access to procedure, application for international protection, Dublin procedures, determination at first instance, determination at second instance, reception and detention, return and content of protection/integration. It is planned to form an IDS network of Member State experts to validate the information in the IDS and to update it on a regular basis so that users can consult, compare and analyse asylum practices across the EU. EASO set up a pilot version of IDS which was presented to the Management Board and the Consultative Forum and in 2015 the development of the system continued with finalisation of the structure and functionalities of the tool. Initial content covering main stages of the asylum process in all EU+ countries was inserted by EASO, taking into account information gathered in sources, such as the EASO quality matrix, the EMN reports, the contributions to the Annual report on the situation on asylum (including from UNHCR and civil society) and information from national websites and databases. A meeting was held with the EASO network of court and tribunal members to discuss the integration of national case law into IDS. Finally, a kickoff meeting of the IDS network (with representatives of 16 EU+ countries) was held at EASO in January The network will continue to validate the IDS content in order to ensure the accuracy of the information stored and to help further develop a system. 5.2 Annual report on the situation of asylum in the EU 2014 In 2015, EASO published its fourth yearly reference report: The annual report on the situation of asylum in the European Union 2014 ( 16 ). The report provided a comprehensive overview of the situation of asylum in the EU, by examining requests for international protection to the EU, analysing application and decision data, and focusing on some of the most important countries of origin of applicants for international protection. In particular, the report focused on three asylum flows that underlined the very different characteristics of asylum applicants in the EU: Syria, Russian Federation and western Balkans countries. The report also highlighted major developments with regard to EU/national policies, legislative changes and jurisprudence. In the framework of Regulation 862/2007, Eurostat was the primary source of statistical data used for the annual report. To ensure high quality data, EASO liaises with Eurostat regarding compliance, reminders and consistency of the datasets published on their website. Data gathered by EASO through the EPS data collection system provided for additional information, to be used in the report in support of the existing analysis and to expand statistical references in the thematic sections. Furthermore, all Member States, UNHCR and 15 civil society organisations provided input to the report. The annual report was adopted by the EASO Management Board on 8 June 2015 and it Annual Report was launched to the on the Situation public in Brussels on of Asylum in the European Union 8 July 2015 during 2014 a conference open to Member States and civil society attended by around 120 participants. In order to promote its July 2015 broad dissemination, the report was translated in 5 languages (ES, DE, EN, FR, IT). European Asylum Support Office SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION ( 16 ) Report-2014.pdf

25 EASO Annual General Report Early warning and preparedness system EASO s main results in quarterly reports 12 monthly trend analysis reports published within 10 days 12 monthly snapshots 10 contributions to EASO newsletter on latest asylum trends (public) 12 weekly overview reports of the situation of asylum in the EU+ (since week 40) 4 post-visa liberalisation monitoring mechanism reports (since July 2015) 3 GPS network meetings Weekly relocation reports began October 2015 EPS Stage III indicators collection began in September 2015 (Access to procedure, Dublin, reception, return) 7 ad hoc risk analyses and reports EASO research programme on push-pull factors in asylum-related migration began EASO continued the data collection under its EPS. Article 33 of the recast Dublin Regulation foresees the establishment of a European mechanism for early warning, preparedness and crisis management with a key role for EASO in information provision. In this framework, EASO s EPS is designed to be a fundamental part of this mechanism and aims to provide accurate, timely and complete monitoring of the practical functioning of the CEAS via timely operational data collection. The 28 European Union Member States, Norway and Switzerland, also referred to as EU+ countries, provide data on a monthly basis to EASO within 15 calendar days after the end of the reference month. According to the agreed process, the development of EPS is envisaged to proceed step-by-step in stages. In 2015, the launch of EPS Stage III was prepared. Data collection for Stage III began on 15 September The additional indicators include otherwise closed cases, access to procedure, reception, return and Dublin. Although a majority of the states provided some data for Stage III from its inception, several states had as expected difficulties in providing information for some indicators, because time was needed to adjust national IT systems and to put in place national coordination, since some information had to come from other agencies/ministries. The level of compliance is therefore expected to gradually improve in the course of Otherwise closed cases, Dublin and reception had the highest level of compliance, while data provision for access to procedure and return proved too difficult for several states. In 2015, EASO issued 12 monthly trends analysis reports, 12 monthly snapshots, 3 quarterly reports ( 17 ) and 7 ad hoc reports (i.e. early warning notes, situational updates and impact assessments). While some of those documents were EU restricted or limited and were addressed to the members of the Management Board, EASO also provided 10 contributions on latest asylum trends to the EASO newsletter, a public document broadly disseminated. Since July 2015, EASO published four post-visa liberalisation monitoring mechanism reports. Also, since week 40 EASO started to publish weekly overview reports on the situation of asylum in EU+, in order to provide updated and timely information on the migration crisis. 12 weekly reports were published in 2015 for limited use. In 2015, EASO produced and/or updated a number of ad hoc reports. The reports on Ukraine and on Eritrea were updated. A visa liberalisation report for Ukraine was produced. A visa liberalisation risk analysis for Turkey was produced and updated during the year. Also the visa liberalisation risk analysis for Georgia was also updated. The asylum applicants from the western Balkans: comparative analysis of the trends, push-pull factors and responses was updated. 3 meetings were organised with GPS members. The first one aimed at discussing the feasibility of the Stage III proposal, the second one aimed at discussing the implementation of the Stage III indicators and the third one aimed at reviewing the first data provision under Stage III of the data collection. In order to have an improved understanding of asylum influx, and thus enhance the quality of analyses and improve capabilities to develop forward-looking scenarios, EASO began a research programme on the push and pull factors of forced migration. The idea was discussed at several MB meetings and, given the extensive support demonstrated, a specific activity was included in Section 4.3 of the 2015 work programme. The research programme should eventually lead to the development of an empirically validated model detailing the relative importance of the various key push and pull factors determining asylum-related migration for certain typical flows. A staff member of the requisite level dedicated full-time to manage the programme was recruited by EASO in October 2015 and is situated in the Centre for Information, Documentation and Analysis. Given the complexity of the subject, the project is designed as a comprehensive, large-scale, multi-annual programme that will be implemented step by step. Since EASO does not have the human resources available to carry out such an extensive research programme internally, lots for research services will be publicly tendered in order to conduct the work and to provide ( 17 )

26 24 EASO Annual General Report 2015 the key deliverables. The first lot a literature review identifying all significant push/pull factors was tendered on September and awarded in October The invitation to tender for lot 2 a methodological survey of existing empirical migration models was issued in December Four valid proposals were received, and the evaluation would start in January As part of the effort to achieve an improved understanding of asylum flows, as well as to fulfil its mandate as the EU body providing COI to Member States and other institutional stakeholders, a pilot project for the outsourced collection and analysis of qualitative information relevant to push factors in major countries of origin was launched in Q3-4. The output will consist of monthly country intelligence reports for three countries for 6 months. They will contribute to the EASO analytical products and COI research, and be also distributed to contact networks external to EASO. The tender for country intelligence reports was awarded in November The preparatory work started on December 2015, but the reports will be delivered starting from January 2016.

27 EASO Annual General Report Third country support The EASO third country support is in line with the EASO external action strategy ( 18 ), which conforms with the overall EU external relations policies and priorities, especially with the Global Approach to Migration and Mobility, the European neighbourhood policy (ENP) and the EU enlargement strategy. The EASO strategy and activities in this field are based on the understanding that the internal and the external dimensions of both migration and asylum are closely interlinked. Therefore, migration and asylum cannot be effectively addressed without taking into consideration the cooperation with third countries. 6.1 External dimension EASO s work aims to contribute to the implementation of the external dimension of the CEAS in agreement with the European Commission and within the framework of the EU external relations policy. Within this context, EASO engaged in a project financed by the European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument (ENPI) related to the participation of Jordan in the work of EASO as well as the participation of Morocco and Tunisia in the work of EASO and Frontex. The implementation started on 1 March 2014 and was extended until the end of June It contributes to a better understanding of the function, operations and activities of EASO and Frontex and the role EU Member States play. The project assesses and identifies the technical assistance needs of Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia and the suitability of EASO and Frontex tools for their possible adaptation. The target groups of the project activities are asylum and border management authorities, both having operational responsibilities (including the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Ministries of Interior and the Ministries of Justice) and those performing supporting activities (such as the exchange of information, capacity building, international cooperation and legal activities). The implementation of the project continued in In total, 14 activities were implemented in 2015, including 3 study visits of the countries officials to France, Spain, and the United Kingdom, a seminar for Moroccan Members of Parliament and a thematic seminar in Jordan, 2 EASO field visits in Jordan and in Tunisia. Officials from the three target countries participated in a train-the-trainer training on the CEAS in Malta, as well as in other EASO trainings on inclusion, exclusion, evidence assessment and interview techniques. ( 18 ) Action-Strategy.pdf Furthermore, EASO implemented activities within the context of the EASO external dimension network, which was established in 2014 to mainstream communication and share information with Member States, the European Commission, the European External Actions Service, relevant JHA Agencies and international organisations. EASO organised 2 external dimension meetings, as well as a workshop on communication skills in the external dimension. The workshop was facilitated by an external expert in multicultural communication with the purpose to further develop multicultural commication skills for experts deployed in the external dimension. Several new areas were covered and the experts were equipped with new techniques and insight in cross-cultural communication. EASO also organised, as part of its external dimension mandate, two regional workshops and trainings: the training in Vienna addressed evidence assessment and third country nationals, mainly from the western Balkans and Tunisia, composed the largest contingent of the participants; the training in Istanbul, which was exclusively aimed to third country nationals, on the three core EASO training modules Inclusion, Interviewing techniques and Evidence assessment, was attended by officials from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia. Additionally, where places opened up, officials from western Balkan countries attended a number of EASO trainings in Malta, Brussels and Tallinn. Translations of EASO Tranings into Croatian (Interviewing technique module); French (CEAS module); and Arabic (EASO handbooks, etc.) were launched. During 2015 EASO has been following the developments in the western Balkans route. In response to the statement adopted at the leaders meeting on refugee flows along the western Balkans route EASO put in place the following actions: an EASO contact point was nominated in the Centre for Operational Support; a draft/internal EASO action plan was developed; missions were organised to western Balkan countries (former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia) for meetings with authorities; participation and contribution to the regular videoconferences with the countries along the western Balkan route and other stakeholders, chaired by the cabinet of President Juncker and weekly overviews on the situation of asylum and the latest asylum trends. Finally, EASO continued its actions to support the implementation of RDPPs. EASO participated in RDPP North Africa missions to Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia and has been included in the task force for the RDPP North Africa. EASO attended the Steering Committee meeting of RDPP North Africa in Rome on 20 October

28 26 EASO Annual General Report and submitted a proposal for a project under the RDPP North Africa framework after consultation with the EU Member States. The EASO project proposal is still pending availability of funding. Also, EASO attended the Valletta Summit on November 2015 and has consequently been identified as a relavant actor in providing capacity building, including training, to countries of origin, transit and destination. 6.2 Resettlement In the field of resettlement, EASO aims at playing a coordinating role in exchanging information and best practices among EU+ countries, as well as in other actions. In cooperation with UNHCR and IOM, EASO aims to promote coordination between EU+ countries in achieving agreed targets of resettlement, not only in terms of submissions, but also in terms of effective departures to the EU. In the field of resettlement, EASO works in close cooperation with UNHCR and IOM and aims at strengthening the EU role in this area. In line with this objective, in 2015 EASO developed a proposal for collection of data and operational information on resettlement. The proposal was sent to EU+ countries for comments in December 2015 and data collection started early Furthermore, EASO discussed the possible development of a training tool on resettlement at the training NCP meeting in May After consultations with Member States, other areas were prioritised for the development of training tools in Resettlement remains however an area of interest for training activities in the coming years, to be developed either directly by EASO or in partnership with relevant actors. EASO participated actively in the 3rd Resettlement and relocation forum and on 2 October 2016, backto-back with the Resettlement and relocation forum, organised a workshop on resettlement focussing on new resettlement countries. EASO also participated in an inaugural workshop, the EU-FRANK, project led by Sweden and the Annual Tripartite Consultation on Resettlement. Press briefing in the margins of the Valletta Summit EASO data analysts interpreting migration trends. Volker Türk, UNHCR s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection during the EASO 5 Year Conference.